Monthly Archives: May 2024

Governor Green has signed SB3202 into law. This new law effectively circumvents the Kauaʻi County Charter by transferring the power of subdivision approval in the urban district, from the Planning Commission to a single individual, the Kauaʻi Planning Director. The … Continue reading →

Governor Green has announced that on Tuesday May 28th he will be signing SB3202 and throwing local planning, local communities, and Kauaʻi County particularly – under the bus. He will be joined in the festivities by U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, … Continue reading →

The Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands (PMRF) Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice (EISPN) is out, and at first read seems woefully inadequate. See for yourself, https://pmrf-kpgo-eis.com The U.S. Navy on Kaua‘i holds various lease’s and easements giving them control … Continue reading →

Growing up, I remember my mother would sometimes say, “If they’re willing to lie, they’re also willing to cheat and steal.” Mark Twain more famously said, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics. Such describes the … Continue reading →

The 2024 legislative session is over. Thousands of bills were introduced, hundreds were passed into law. Surprisingly, state law-makers took a meaningful step in the right direction on what I believe is the most important issue of our time. The … Continue reading →

One of the most important laws on the books is HRS343 also known as the Hawaiʻi Environmental Protection Act (HEPA). Included in my now 70 years of life experience was a stint in 2012 as Director of the Office of … Continue reading →

“Affordable Housing – Yes in my backyard” was the title of something I wrote 6 months ago on the topic of affordable housing. https://garyhooser.blog/2023/11/02/affordable-housing-yes-in-my-backyard/ To be absolutely clear, I support urban redevelopment and the general concept of increasing density in … Continue reading →

It feels like the first day of a new year – in a policy and politics sense. The Hawaiʻi legislative session is over and there’s no more “waiting to exhale”. The constant vigilance required to monitor 3,000 or more bills … Continue reading →

Well we lost. SB3202 passed. The vote was very close – The House of Representatives voted 29 in support and 22 in opposition. In the Senate there were 9 Noes and 16 in the affirmative. Vote translation: We needed only 4 … Continue reading →